Cy Pres Bridges the Financial Gap for Accessible Legal Aid.

Cy Pres awards (also known as residual awards or class settlements) are residual funds in class action cases that, for any number of reasons, are unclaimed or cannot be distributed to the class members or beneficiaries that were the intended recipients. Under the Cy Pres doctrine and Montana law, courts can distribute these residual funds to appropriate charitable causes, and the Montana Justice Foundation and the legal aid organizations and access to justice initiatives and grantees that Montana Justice Foundation supports are suitable beneficiaries.

MJF’s mission of improving access to justice for all Montanans, regardless of income, makes it an ideal match for class action Cy Pres awards, as one underlying premise for all class actions is to make access to justice a reality for people who otherwise would not be able to obtain the protections of the court system. MJF has a statewide reach and is a leader in access to justice initiatives by being Montana's largest private funder of civil legal aid. MJF does not file lawsuits or represent parties in court and is free of any potential conflict that otherwise might arise for the court in a case. 

Cy Pres awards have made possible several innovative projects and initiatives in the state, enabling MJF to provide ongoing support for these efforts. 

For more information about Cy Pres awards and other awards of residual funds, please contact Alissa Chambers, Executive Director, at achambers@mtjustice.org or (406) 523-3920.